Confession: several times a year I fall out of my meditation habit and go days without meditating. This is not good for my mental health. My mind feels more chaotic and my life becomes heavy.

Thankfully, I have a process that slowly eases me back into regular meditation when I’ve fallen out of the habit.

It’s really simple and I’d love to share it with you here.

It’s also great for anyone feeling distracted or overstimulated and has a hard time meditating, or anyone new to meditation in general.

These simple tips will help you ease into the meditative state and help you build momentum around the habit.

I go into more detail in the video, but here are the high-level tips:

1. Turn off your phone, or at least set it to Do Not Disturb.
2. Remove visual stimulus. You can do this with an eye mask, and if you don’t have one use a bandana or even a shirt.
3. Light a candle, or burn incense / palo santo / sage. Allow the scent to bring your attention inwards.
4. Grab your headphones and listen to a good playlist with theta or delta binaural beats. This kind of music uses subtly different frequencies in the left and right ear to bring the mind into a more relaxed mental state. There is literally nothing you need to do for the binaural music to do its magic.
5. Repeat after me: “There is no possible way to get this wrong.” Your mind might try to convince you that you are doing it “wrong” or that nothing is happening, but this is normal. My mind does this all the time. The key is not to fight it or give it much attention. There is nothing you need to do.

And one more thing…

I don’t waste any time trying to quiet my mind. That shit does not work for creative minds. Once I know there is no possible way to get this wrong and I allow my mind go wherever it wants, eventually my resistance gets bored and quietly leaves. That’s when things get interesting.

Try these tips out next time you are feeling overstimulated or stuck, and let me know if you have any tips of your own. I’d love to hear them.

Big love,

D

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One of the hardest parts of being a creator, artist, or entrepreneur is pouring your heart and soul into a post or a project that ultimately does not meet your expectations.

This has happened to me countless times. Some projects were big and expensive, and some were as simple as a social media post that I was really excited about that got barely any views.

You might be surprised to know that my ego gets bruised up a lot. I might appear confident in my posts, but I’m still human and susceptible to insecurities.

It hurts to see a post or a project receive low engagement. My inner child feels like no one wants to come to his birthday party and he gets sad.

Here are 5 things I do to stop obsessing about how my work might be perceived:

1. I remind myself that these creations are NOT mine. They come from God/Universe/Source and I am simply the channel to bring them into the world. This helps a lot to make sure I don’t get precious or attached to the work.

2. I remind myself that what happens after I release the work into the world is none of my business. Everyone is allowed to experience the work however they would like.

3. I bless and release. I send the piece love and let it go. I make sure I did the best with the time I had and energetically close the loop, so that I can make space for the next creation from God. If my hands are full with a past project, then when God comes by tomorrow with a new gift I have no space to receive the next one.

4. I make sure I have dozens of future creation sessions in my schedule. This helps me remember that this specific creation is just one of many, and takes the pressure off of having to do it perfectly.

5. I reorient myself by visualizing 10, 20, 50, 100 people in a room and remember how big that can feel. Social media is full of these ridiculous numbers where “only 10 likes” is not a bad thing. If 10 humans were really into the post that is fucking cool. Cooler to me than 10,000 humans that barely watched and then moved on.

Do you have any mindset tips you use to help you keep the joy in your creative process?

If so, I’d love to hear them.

Share in the comments or send me a direct message reply.

Big love,

D

I’m making a big decision and I would love your input.

For context: last year I launched a 7-day course to help people supercharge their creativity. The responses blew me away: over 3,300 students so far with an average rating of 4.9/5.

I am excited to launch a new course this year and I have a few ideas, but before I make the decision I want your input.

Our community is so smart and insightful, so let me know what you think. I deeply value your input.

What course would be of greatest service to you?

A) a course to help you supercharge your mornings
B) a course to help you fall asleep deeply and consistently
C) a course to help you supercharge your confidence
D) a course to help you build a consistent journaling and writing practice
E) something I haven’t thought of

Let me know in the comments or reply in a direct message. If your answer is E, please be specific to what you have in mind. And if you like a few, please list them in order of favourite.

I’m open to hearing any and all answers. Please don’t be shy; even half-baked ideas are welcome.

Big love,

D

On really difficult days, I ask God to hold my hand.

On other days, I sit back-to-back with God and we meditate together. I feel the warmth of God’s body against mine. It’s such a soothing and supportive way to start my day.

If I can be still enough, I can even feel God’s beating heart on my back.

God is a major part of my life and a key source of inspiration for all the work I do.

In the past I would be really cautious about using the “G” word in a post or a meditation.

Because I discovered that it can be really polarizing.

On several occasions people have shared that they got triggered or “checked out” because I mentioned the word God.

I would immediately feel guilty that they were negatively impacted by the meditation I created, or possibly just felt left out. I felt like I messed up and should have been more thoughtful.

Eventually this brought up a powerful inflection point for me. What was I trying to achieve?

Was my goal to make everyone happy? Or was it to speak truthfully?

I am still figuring it out.

It isn’t black and white. Context and intention matters.

For now, I want to share my relationship with God with my community.

I also want to stay open and hear perspectives that are different from mine. Even if they are difficult for me to hear.

Because some of the most important moments in my life started with me hearing things that are difficult to hear, and then taking time to unpack what is happening underneath my reaction. And then taking ownership of my own part.

Is there something that is true and important in your life that you are afraid to share with the world—or even with your family and close friends?

Most people don’t realize that dreaming is a skill. If you haven’t practiced it for a long time, there is a good chance you’re rusty.

But that’s nothing a bit of practice can’t solve. And like most things in life, honesty is the starting point.

If you want to bring as many of your dreams to life as possible, step one is getting super honest about what you want.

This step sounds easy, but in real life it’s illusive and full of landmines.

1. Just acknowledging that you have a dream takes a shit ton of courage. You may end up face-to-face with all the times in the past you wanted something and you didn’t get it.

2. Additionally, dreams often bring up issues of worthiness and a lot of imposter syndrome. “Who am I to have a dream like this?!” “How selfish and greedy of me!”

Sometimes it gets to the point that it’s easier to bury the dream and pretend it no longer exists. Or you find a much safer dream and convince yourself that is what you really want.

Claiming your own dreams requires a lot of patience and love. I suggest going slowly.

First, create a safe container for yourself, with no judgement and with no limitations for what could be possible. Ask your brain to take the day off so that you and your heart can have a playdate together. You can refine your dream with your brain later, but first start with no boundaries and follow the joy in your heart.

The more time we spend imagining our dreams coming true, the greater the likelihood they will come to life. Especially when we share them with like-minded humans that support and believe in us.

I love hearing other people's dreams and yet, I still get nervous sharing my own. In these moments I remind myself that the nerves are just an indication that I am doing something new and exciting.

How do you feel about your own dreams?

Do you have a dream for 2024?

If so, how many people have heard you talk about it?

Today I woke up longing for the freedom of 2017 Darius. I wondered what it would be like to erase the word “algorithm” from my vocabulary and go back to being a *pretend* photographer and writer with fewer than 500 followers and nothing to lose.

In 2017, I became a portrait photographer. I honestly had no idea what I was doing, but somehow the photos looked great and the experiences fed my soul.

In 2017, I also started writing publicly. I wrote a lot: at least 5 times a week, sometimes over 3,000 words a day.

When I paired the writing with the photos, things got really exciting.

In February of 2017, I started booking photography clients for the first time ever. I opened up 15 portrait photography spots per month, and within 2 days I sold out 3 months of portraits. This was truly a shock to me.

Everything was so new, so unknown and uncertain. I could only see 3 steps in front of me at a time.

I never knew what was coming next and I didn’t really care. This allowed me to be super honest and super ME.

I didn’t really think about the audience and it would be years before I even knew the word algorithm. Instead I would ask myself, “What feels most true this morning?” or “What feels most alive and accessible inside my heart?”

2024 Darius feels jealous of 2017 Darius. It felt easier to express and share my art in 2017.

It felt faster and more effortless... wake up, meditate, show up at my computer, write, share some photos, and move on.

It felt less competitive too. I didn’t really know who or what I was at that point, and with no professional title or status I wasn’t competing with anyone.

And it felt less risky, mostly because it felt like I had nothing to lose. I wasn’t yet a “real photographer” or a “real writer”—I was just a silly man pretending to be both.

Commercial success has many blessings. But it can also become a self-imposed prison if you are not careful.

I am sipping my coffee this morning, imagining what 2024 could look and feel like if I was brave enough to be me all the way.

Not me in 2017, but me right fucking now.

Big love,

D

It was so much fun working with Louise Lee. Her passion and vibrance shine through in every interaction.

I love when clients fully lean into my photography process and show up with their A-game. I also love when clients bring other parts of their lives and personalities into our shoots.

Most of my clients are coaches, speakers and authors, but that doesn’t mean that’s the only thing they do. Louise is an incredible violinist as well as a professional leadership and life coach.

It was such a pleasure to show BOTH of those sides of her during our photography session.

In my experience, it’s hard to trust someone online when you can only see one aspect of who they are. But when someone lets the world see many different sides of their true self, it feels like we’re standing in the same room.

That’s how we build trust.

If you’d like to learn more about my photography process, I’d love to chat with you. No pressure, just an honest conversation about your vision for you, your life and maybe your business.

My area of specialty is supporting speakers, authors, coaches, therapists, artists, and other individuals who use their passion, wisdom and energy to positively impact the world. 🌎

For a limited time I am offering a COMBO PACKAGE of 2 unique photoshoots in 1 day. By combining the photoshoots you will end up saving over $2000.

It’s an amazing value for anyone who is ready for an upgrade to their business.

You will walk away with a wide range of photos that will help you massively upgrade your online branding and support your business for the next few years.

If you are interested send me a direct message or follow the link in my bio.

Do you want to meet in real life and meditate with me in Texas under a jaw-dropping TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE?

I am so excited to share that I will be leading 2 transformative group experiences at a once-in-a-lifetime event called Soul Eclipse next April under the Texas sky.

Soul Eclipse is a 1.5 day retreat in Driftwood Texas at the Felton Ranch, centred around the solar eclipse happening on April 8, 2024.

Many cultures believe that a total solar eclipse is a powerful opportunity to cleanse old emotional imprints and stories by going inwards and releasing deep-seated wounds that no longer serve us.

This rare astrological occurrence can be a keystone moment to clear out your inner world and start a new chapter of your life with intention and clarity.

I am bringing my Artist Morning framework to a live audience during this powerful astrological event. The framework is about creating a supportive atmosphere for participants to connect with their hearts, their souls, and unearth hidden creative abilities.

I will be leading two unique group sessions during the retreat. We will dive into meditations, breathwork, powerful journaling prompts to create a deeply integrated and personal experience for everyone to step into this next chapter with power, clarity and confidence.

The group organizing this event has wonderfully curated an end-to-end journey for all participants, centred around spirituality, self-exploration and community connection.

I am thrilled to be one of the many group facilitators at the retreat. There are a lot of really awesome sessions that I personally can’t wait to experience myself.

To learn more about the Soul Eclipse Retreat, take a look at their website. Early bird tickets are on sale now! Click here to learn more about Soul Eclipse and save your spot.

It would be so awesome to meet people from the Artist Morning, Insight Timer or YouTube communities that have been meditating with me online for the past 4 years. You humans are my favourite!

Big love,

D

This is Sonia. She walked in as a client and walked out as a friend. She’s such a lovely person and I truly had a blast working with her.

Sonia booked me for a combo photoshoot, which means we do two types of photoshoots in a single day. She went with an indoor shoot and an outdoor shoot.

You would never be able to tell from these photos, but Sonia was nervous before we started.

And guess what? Almost every human I work with is nervous beforehand.

I think people see the final photos on Instagram and don’t realize that a key part of the photography experience involves nerves.

Photography is the process of being seen in a tangible way by others, so not only are big feelings normal before your photoshoot, they are to be expected. The feelings are never new and almost always decades old.

With the right photographer and the right photography process, all the nerves and insecurities (and even fear) can be embraced for a deeper, more meaningful experience. Together we create an opportunity for you to really see yourself, to feel what comes up, and then find your way back to love. Deep, meaningful self-love.

I want you to walk away with so much more than just pictures for your website; I want you to have a beautiful and deeply healing experience that allows you to step into your power and share more of your gifts with the world.

If you’d like to learn more about my process, I’d love to chat with you. No pressure, just an honest conversation about your vision for you, your life and maybe your business. Shoot me a message.

Big love,

D

If you are open to receiving more love in your life, here’s a simple exercise you can do in less than 5 mins.

STEP 1: Find a comfortable and quiet place and gently close your eyes.

STEP 2: Take 3 deep breaths. The slower the better.

STEP 3: When you feel a bit more present or grounded, repeat the following affirmations 3-5 times each.

Pro Tip: Instead of rushing through, go slowly. See if you can actually bring your attention to each respective body part (e.g. eyes for seeing, ears for hearing, heart for feeling).

AFFIRMATIONS

→ I am open to SEEING love all around me.

→ I am open to HEARING love all around me.

→ I am open to FEELING love all around me.

→ I am open to BEING love.

STEP 4: Continue taking deep breaths. With each new breath, imagine your eyes, ears and heart slowly opening to receive more love.

STEP 5: If you are open to it, place one hand on your chest and give your heart a hug.

STEP 6: When you are ready, slowly open your eyes and notice if anything looks, sounds, feels different. Even a 1% difference can make a *big* impact.

For anyone interested in going deeper, I will be guiding a free meditation tomorrow morning at www.ArtistMorning.com on this exact theme.

We will have a 20 minute meditation and then 20 mins of private personal journaling, all done through Zoom.

It starts at 9AM (EDT) and if you can’t make it, there will be a replay for anyone who signs up.

It’s totally free and everyone is welcome.

Big love,

D